Biography-Statement (ENG)

STATEMENT

I travel a lot. I am interested in other ways of life, customs and views/perspectives that constantly question my own values and norms/standards time and time again. Often I notice that a memory is not quit identical to what the old photo seems to show. Have my memories changed over the years? Or did the old photo not represent the real situation? What is true and do I really want to know it exactly?

In my paintings I usually make use of my travel photos. I make a crop or a collage and translate it into large patches of colour in a limited color palette. Then I start with a brush and black paint on ‘my journey’ over the canvas. In doing so, I sometimes try to ‘reconstruct’ the original image, but then also create my own truth again.

I experience this ‘brush-walk’ across the canvas as a metaphor for life. If my brush neatly follows the boundaries of the color planes, then the painting (life) becomes boring and predictable. If I do not take the surfaces into account, the whole becomes chaotic and meaningless. Two dimensions arise in the work. By constantly changing between ‘following’ and ‘deviating’ a scandalous dialogue arises between the newly drawn reality and the roughly colored memories. By switching between the two dimensions, each painting constantly reveals new details and memories while in the meantime others disappear.

BIOGRAPHY

I started with a Graphics course at the Academy of Fine Arts in Arnhem. But after only one year I changed for a combined career as a physics teacher and pop musician. Decades playing as a guitarist in various bands finally led to the successful 2-man project Black Market Audio. The catchy, danceable instrumental music has been used extensively in commercials (Michelob, Toyota, Renault, Bufetti), TV series and films. The albums ‘Autorama’ and ‘Shake’ have been released in Japan and Italy.

With Black Market Audio I have done the research / design for two compilation CDs; ‘Dutch Rare Groove’ and ‘Dutch Exotica’. The latter compilation is also an example of the combination of two passions: travel and music.
For four years I was one of the founders of the Multimedia Academy in Amersfoort. But then I decided to focus exclusively on my passions: travel, music and art.

Under the name BlueHipster I made many cartoons, illustrations (including Volkskrant, vpro-gids) and paintings. I moved to my native region and opened a House-Gallery ‘De Heerlijkheid van Wisch’ in Terborg (The Netherlands).
After a long period of various projects and experiments, I have now found a completely individual visual language.